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    My guide to installing pfSense on Watchguard x750e

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    • D
      DeLorean
      last edited by

      The original Watchguard Bios doesn't support big CF cards like 4Gb and bigger,
      besides converting the x750e back to the Watchguard OS (Fireware), there isn't any profit
      to use the original Bios.

      Grtz
      DeLorean

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • D
        diesel678
        last edited by

        Has anyone got the latest pfsense 2.4.1 working on X750e? thanks

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • D
          DeLorean
          last edited by

          @diesel678:

          Has anyone got the latest pfsense 2.4.1 working on X750e? thanks

          No, because since version 2.4 there is no 32Bit version available.
          The x750e can run only 32Bit version of pfSense.
          The latest version for the x750e is 2.3.5

          Best regards
          DeLorean

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • C
            CuriousG
            last edited by

            @DeLorean:

            @diesel678:

            Has anyone got the latest pfsense 2.4.1 working on X750e? thanks

            No, because since version 2.4 there is no 32Bit version available.
            The x750e can run only 32Bit version of pfSense.
            The latest version for the x750e is 2.3.5

            Best regards
            DeLorean

            Will Celeron M 5xx series CPU work on X-Core-e?

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • D
              DeLorean
              last edited by

              @CuriousG:

              Will Celeron M 5xx series CPU work on X-Core-e?

              No, a Celeron M 5xx is socket BGA479
              A Watchguard X Core-E series use a socket mPGA478C

              For a X Core-E series, i always used a Intel Pentium M 760 @ 2Ghz 533Mhz with Dothan Core.
              The motherboard of this type firewall only support cpu's with a Banias or Dothan core.
              After replacing the cpu, you must set the 2 sets of dip switches from Banias setting to Dothan,
              oftherwise the 2Ghz cpu will run as a 1.7Ghz due wrong multiplier setting.

              Grtz
              DeLorean

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • G
                GavinSlayer
                last edited by

                Hello,

                So I am thinking of loading pfSense on an X750e that I inherited. Two questions:

                1. If I upgrade the processor to the Pentium M 760 @ 2Ghz 533Mhz Dothan Core, will I be able to load the latest version of pfSense?

                2. Will this device support loading pfSense with an SSD vs. the Compact Flash?

                Thank You!

                chpalmerC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • chpalmerC
                  chpalmer @GavinSlayer
                  last edited by

                  @gavinslayer

                  You can run 2.3.5 on it but not any of the later versions. These boxes are pretty much done at this point.

                  Support for 2.3 branch is going away.

                  Triggering snowflakes one by one..
                  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

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                  • GertjanG
                    Gertjan
                    last edited by

                    30 days and counting : pfSense version 2.3 End of Life approaching

                    No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                    Edit : and where are the logs ??

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • stephenw10S
                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                      last edited by

                      Yes, those boxes are pretty much for fun or experimenting only now.
                      If you do go ahead you might want to choose one of the 400MHz FSB Pentium M CPUs as they are supported directly by powerd so you get proper frequency scaling.

                      Steve

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                      • M
                        maevoureik
                        last edited by maevoureik

                        I've been trying to run "awdflash" to both backup and also flash x750eb7.bin and xebios_81.bin, but it doesn't appear that awdflash is working at all. After numerous attempts and boots, I'm still seeing nothing but "WG Bios v1.3" on the LCD screen of my XTM800series.

                        Video Link

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          The XTM800 is not an X-Core-e model, it's a much later device. If that really is the hardware you're running then flashing that bios to it successfully would almost certainly brick it!
                          The XTM800 BIOS is not locked though so BIOS flashing is not required on those.

                          What device do you actually have there?

                          Steve

                          M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • M
                            maevoureik @stephenw10
                            last edited by

                            @stephenw10 XTM850 hardware # SL8AE14 is the device I have. If BIOS is not locked, then why doesn't a CF card loaded with pfSense 2.5 (or 2.4.5) serial image boot up?

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by stephenw10

                              There seems to be some problem with 2.5 (FreeBSD 12) on those boxes but you should still see something boot. And then fail.
                              When I installed mine I used the internal VGA header to access to BIOS and force it to boot the installer but I believe it should be possible to boot the install image from CF.
                              See: https://forum.netgate.com/post/969046

                              What image exactly are you using?

                              You should continue this there or in the XTM800/1500 thread.

                              Steve

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • KyleBrownK
                                KyleBrown
                                last edited by

                                A friend of mine has been following this guide but, at the moment, is getting this as an output. Any help would be appreciated.

                                Screenshot_20220401-155131_Discord.jpg

                                GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • GertjanG
                                  Gertjan @KyleBrown
                                  last edited by

                                  @kylebrown

                                  That problem was solved last year.
                                  The solution was : switch the devices to 'on'.

                                  No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                                  Edit : and where are the logs ??

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • stephenw10S
                                    stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                    last edited by stephenw10

                                    Um, yeah hard to see what you're showing there. Just the putty screens in the center?

                                    Both seem to be showing the same thing and on different com ports so I'd suggest neither is correct.

                                    What device are you installing to?

                                    What image are you using?

                                    How are are you trying to install it?

                                    A lot has changed since 2017....

                                    Steve

                                    GertjanG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • GertjanG
                                      Gertjan @stephenw10
                                      last edited by

                                      @stephenw10 said in My guide to installing pfSense on Watchguard x750e:

                                      different com ports

                                      I see this :

                                      52e26d4a-ac08-44a2-9e93-bbf403d5ead5-image.png

                                      and you see comm ports ??

                                      edit : Oh wait, just zoomed into 400 % : I see comm ports .....

                                      No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
                                      Edit : and where are the logs ??

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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